Method and apparatus for feeding yarns



Sept. 23, 1958 A. H. CRAWFORD 2,853,033

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FEEDING YARNS Filed July 22, 1954 4Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY;

Sept. 23, 1958 A. H. CRAWFORD V 2,853,033

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FEEDING YARNS Filed July 22, 1954 4Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTO RN EY 5 Sept. 23, 1958 A. H. CRAWFORD2,853,033

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FEEDING YARNS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 22,1954 M I \"ENTOR Sept. 23, 1958 A. H. CRAWFORD ,0

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FEEDING YARNS Filed July 22, 1954 4Sheets-Sheet 4 lNyENTOR ATTORNEY"? United States Patent Ofitice I2,853,033 Patented Sept. 23, 1958 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FEEDING YARNSAllan H. Crawford, Amsterdam, N. Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, toMohasco Industries, Inc., Amsterdam, N. Y., a corporation of New YorkApplication July 22, 1as4,'seria1 No. 445,007

12 Claims. c1. 112-79 This invention relates to the feeding of yarns toapparatus, in which they are to be used, and is concerned moreparticularly with a novel method and mechanism for feeding yarns atrates varying in accordance with a pattern. The new mechanism makespossible control of the lengths of successive small feed increments of alarge number of yarns being fed and is especially suitable for use inthe production of pile fabrics having pile elements of differentheights, the mechanism being employed in that application for supplyingthe yarns to the pileforming devices of the fabric producing apparatus.A typical apparatus for the purpose is a sewing machine constructed forcarrying out tufting operations, in which loops of pile yarn areinserted through a backing sheet to provide the pile of the fabric. Asall the advantages of the new feed mechanism are realized in its use inconjunction with such a sewing machine, a form of the mechanism suitablefor that purpose will be illustrated and described in detail.

Pile fabrics can be produced rapidly and at low cost on sewing machinesof the multiple needle type constructed for tufting purposes andattachments have been developed for feeding the pile yarns to theneedles at varying rates, so that the height of the pile loops in thefabric can be varied. However, the attachments now available are complexand expensive to install and operate.

The present invention is directed to the provision of a method offeeding a plurality of yarns as, for example, to pile-forming devicesfor incorporation into a fabric as pile elements varying in height asdetermined by a pattern, and the invention also includes a mechanism, bywhich the method can be advantageously practiced. The new mechanismfeeds the yarns under close control and, although it is simple inconstruction, the mechanism can be used to determine the height of everypile element in an area of the fabric carrying a repeat of the pattern.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be made tothe accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation,with parts omitted, of a sewing machine for tufting purposes, which isequipped with the new yarn feeding mechanism of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Figs. 5 and 6 are diagrammatic views illustrating the operation of thenew yarn feeding means;

Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the mode of operation of the machine; and

Fig. 8 is a partial side elevational view of one of the patternelements.

The tufting machine shown somewhat diagrammatically in the drawingscomprises a frame 10 provided with a table 11, over which the backingsheet 12 is advanced from a supply by means of rolls 13, 14, 1S, and 16,some or all of which are driven. A shaft 17 mounted above the table anddriven by suitable: means reciprocates a needle bar 19 through suitableconnections including a plurality of eccentric discs 20, straps 21encircling the discs, and push rods 22 connected to the straps andattached to the needle bar. The needle bar carries a plurality ofneedles 23 and a yarn guide 24 movable with the bar and having an eyefor the yarn Y supplied to each needle. Beneath the table are aplurality of looper hooks 25, one for each needle, which are mounted ona bar 26 carried on arms on a rock shaft 27. As the needles pass loopsof pile yarn through the backing sheet in the usual way, the loopers areswung to cause their hooks to enter the loops and hold them, when theneedles are retracted and rise out of the fabric. The features of themachine so far described are of conventional construction and may takevarious forms.

The yarns Y to be fed to the respective needles are drawn from packagesin a creel and pass through a stationary guide 28 having an eye for eachyarn. A second guide 29 with an eye for each yarn is mounted inalignment with guide 28 at a distance therefrom and the yarns issuingfrom the eyes in guide 29 travel to a stationary guide 30, which has aneye for each yarn and is mounted on a fixed part of the machine adjacentthe movable guide 24, when the needle bar is in its upper position. Theyarns passing from guide 29 to guide 30 from a sheet.

The yarns are drawn from the supplies by the new feeding mechanism,which comprises an upper endless series of pattern members 31, whichextend the full width of the sheet of the yarns traveling from guide 28to guide 29. The pattern members are mounted on two or more flexiblecarriers, such as chains 32, which are trained about sprocket wheels 33mounted on shafts 34 journaled in hearings in brackets 35 attached tothe housing 36 for the main drive shaft 17 of the sewing machine. Thechains also pass about sprocket wheels 37 on a shaft 38 journaled inbearings in extensions 39 from the brackets and about idler pulleys onshafts 49 and 40a journaled in bearings on plates 41 mounted on brackets35. Plates 41 can be adjusted relative to brackets 35 by screws 41a tokeep chains 32 taut. Plates 41 carry rails 42, which back up thestretches of the chains lying between shafts 40 and 40a and extendsubstantially parallel to a line drawn between the eyes of guides 28 and29.

A second set of pattern members 43 are mounted on flexible carriers inthe form of chains 44 passing about sprocket wheels 45 on shaft 46journaled in extensions 47 from brackets 35. The chains 44 are alsotrained about idler pulleys on shafts 48 and 49 journaled in bearings inbrackets 35. Rails 50 between the idlers on shafts 48 and 49 back up thelengths of chains 44, which extend parallel to a plane containing theeyes in guides 28 V and 29.

The main drive shaft 17 carries a sprocket wheel 51 connected by a chain52 to a sprocket wheel 53 on a stud 54- mounted on a bracket 55 attachedto the frame 10 of the sewing machine. The stud carries a pinion 56meshing with a gear 57 on a shaft 58 journaled in bearings in brackets55 and 35. Shaft 58 carries a sprocket wheel 59 connected by a chain 60to a sprocket wheel 61 on shaft 33 and shaft 58 also carries a gear 62meshing with a gear 63 on a stud 64 attached to one of the brackets 35.Stud 64 also carries a sprocket wheel 65 connected by a chain 66 to asprocket wheel 67 on shaft 46.

The pattern members 31 and 43 are wires of L-section, of which the basesare connected to the outer faces of links of chains 32 and 44,respectively. The wires on the stretches of the chains backed up byrails 42 and 50 are staggered and their free ends are partiallyintermeshed, so that they subject the yarns in the sheet between guides28 and 29 to lateral deviation and cause the yarns to assume the form ofwaves. The length of a yarn extending from a wire of the 43 series pasta wire of the 31 series to the next wire of the 43 series constitutesone feed increment or wave of the yarn and the yarns in the sheetbetween guides 28 and 29 are formed into such a number of Waves that thewires of the two series grip the yarns sufficiently to draw them fromtheir packages and feed them to the needles as chains 32 and 44 aredriven. The chains advance by the distance between adjacent wiresthereon for each re ciprocation of the needles, so that a feed incrementof each yarn equal to the length of a wave of the yarn is fed to theneedles for each reciprocation of the needles. A feed increment of eachyarn is thus fed to its needle for the formation of a single pile loop.

The yarns in successive feed increments are laterally deviated byamounts corresponding to the heights of successive pile elements in alongitudinal row in the fabric to be produced and the yarns intransversely aligned feed increments across the yarn sheet are deviatedby different amounts determined by the pattern. The varying lateraldeviation of the yarns as described with resultant variation in theindividual feed increments or waves or undulations is produced byforming the wires of the series 31 or 43, or both, of varying heightthroughout their length, although, ordinarily, the wires of the longerseries 31 only are so formed. A typical pattern wire 31 is shown in Fig.8 and the wire has sections marked a, b, c, d, etc., which are ofuniform width and are engageable with individual pile yarns. Eachsection of a wire may be considered to be a pattern element and eachwire is thus an assembly of individual pattern elements lying in a rowtransverse to the direction of feeding movement of the yarns. Thesections are of different heights determined by the pattern to beproduced in the fabric and the length of yarn in each wave extendingbetween a pair of wires in the 43 series depends on the height of thatsection of the wire 31, which en gages the yarn between the wires 43.Accordingly, if the section of the wire 31 in contact with the yarn isrelatively high like section a, Fig. 8, the length of the yarn in thewave will be long, whereas, if the effective section is low like sectiona, the length of the wave will be short. The length of yarn required forformation of a normal loop by a needle is that in a wave of maximumlength.

In the operation of the machine, the yarns are drawn from the supply,threaded through the eyes in guide 2 8 and between those wires of thetwo series 31 and 43, which are in effective position in contact withthe supporting rails 42 and 50. The yarns are then led through the eyesin guides 29, 30, and 24 and threaded through their respective needles23. On each downward stroke, each needle passes a loop of pile yarnthrough the fabric and the loop is retained by the looper, as the needleis retracted. Whatever the length of the first wave W (Fig. 5) of a yarnsupplied to its needle, the loop L (Fig. 7) of that yarn left in thefabric will be of maxi mum length. If the next wave of yarn W betweenwires 43b and 430 is of less than maximum length, because the effectivesection of wire 31b is of less than maximum height, the needle will formthe yarn in wave W into a loop L of maximum length, but the insertion ofthe yarn in the short wave W to form the loop L will cause thewithdrawal of a sufficient amount of yarn from the preceding loop L tomake up the deficiency in wave W As a result, loop L which wasoriginally a normal loop, that is, one of maximum length, will be leftas a loop equal in length to the length of yarn in the short second waveW If the third wave W of yarn between wires 43c and 43d is of maximumlength, the insertion of wave W will produce a loop L; of maximum length4 i and, since an adequate amount of yarn for this loop w supplied tothe needle, the formation of loop L Will not alter the length of thepreceding loop L and loop L will remain as a loop of maximum length, asshown.

As illustrated, the fourth wave W of yarn between wire 43d and 43a is ofless than maximum length, so that the insertion into the fabric of theyarn in wave W will produce a loop L, of maximum length, but yarn willbe withdrawn from the preceding loop L to shorten loop L by thedifference between the length of yarn in wave W and a wave of maximumlength. With the wires shown, the fifth wave W between wires 43:: and 43is short by reason of the effective part of wire 31e being low and, whenthe yarn in wave W is inserted by the needle to form the loop L the loopL Will be reduced in length as shown.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that, in the operation of themachine, the height of each loop in the pile in the finished fabric isdetermined by the amount of the lateral deviation of the feed incrementof the pile yarn supplied for formation of the succeeding loop and thusdepends upon the height of the sections of the pattern wires, whichdetermine the deviation of the feed increment of the yarn for thesucceeding loop. If, in two successive feeding operations, the amountsof yarn fed to a needle are sufficient for the formation of loops of themaximum height that the needle can form, the first loop inserted willremain as a loop of maximum height. The second loop will remain as aloop of maximum height until the third loop of the same yarn is insertedand the final height of the second loop will depend on the amount ofyarn supplied for the formation of the third loop. It is thus possibleby equipping the machine with sets of pattern elements of properformation to produce a fabric, in which elaborate surface effects areobtained by reason of differences in height of the pile loops.

Since the individual yarns extending side by side in the sheet betweenguides 28 and 29 have their successive feed increments laterallydeviated by amounts corresponding to the heights of successive elementsin longitudinal rows in the fabric to be produced, the yarns in thesheet are so distorted that the sheet has a shape corresponding to thesurface of the pile of the finished fabric. Each yarn feed increment ofmaximum deviation corresponds to a pile element, such as a loop, ofmaximum height in the fabric and the yarn feed increments of lessdeviation correspond to pile elements of less than maximum height. Asthe feed increments of yarn are advanced with the wires 31 and 43 andreach the end of the series of wires, the leading feed increments of allthe yarns are simultaneously released. The yarns then return toundeviated condition from guides 29 through guides 30 and 24 to theneedles.

Since the new feeding mechanism affords separate control of the heightof every pile element in the fabric being produced, the use of patternwires of proper shape makes it possible to produce fabrics, in which thearrangement of pile elements of different height in transverse rowsacross the fabric differs from row to row and no two rows in a repeat ofthe pattern are alike. The mechanism thus makes possible the productionof fabrics with a variety of surface effects obtainable in weaving pilefabrics by the use of a Jacquard mechanism.

The feed mechanism described permits individual control of the height ofevery loop in the fabric and, although the yarns are fed simultaneously,the control of each yarn is exercised independently of the controlexercised over all the others. The two sets of pattern wires feed theyarns to the needles in waves varying in amplitude both with the yarnsand also along the yarns. As a result, the amounts of the yarns fed tothe needles for simultaneous formation of loops will vary from yarn toyarn across the sheet of yarns depending on the pattern and the amountsof a given yarn fed for successive loops will also vary according to thepattern. As the amount of yarn in each wave is supplied to a needle forinsertion through the backing sheet to form a single loop, the waves ofyarn being fed are of the same frequency as that of the reciprocation ofthe needles.

The desired variation in height in the pile loops of the fabric can heusually obtained by the use of one set of wires varying in height alongtheir length, while the wires of the other set are plain wires. However,both sets of wires may vary in height lengthwise, if desired. When thewires of only one set are of variable height, it is preferable that suchwires form the 31 series, since there are more wires in this series andthis makes possible the formation of a pattern with a longer repeat thancould be made, if the Wires 43 of the smaller set were of variableheight and wires 31 were plain. Whenever a change in pattern is to bemade, chains 32 are removed and replaced by others carrying wires of theappropriate form and arrangement. If the pattern requires more wiresthan are in set 31, extensions 39 are replaced by longer ones, whichwill space shaft 38 and its sprocket wheels 37 at the desired locationfor the longer chains 32.

I claim:

1. A method of feeding a yarn to a pile-forming device for incorporationinto a fabric as pile elements varying in height as determined by apattern which comprises holding a length of yarn with a plurality ofsuccessive feed increments thereof laterally deviated by varying amountscorresponding to the heights of successive pile elements in alongitudinal row in the fabric to be produced, advancing said heldlength of yarn, with the said increments held deviated by said varyingamounts, to- Wards the pile-forming device, successively releasing theleading feed increment of said held length of yarn for passage to thepile-forming device, and, simultaneously with the releasing of theleading feed increment, introducing another feed increment at thetrailing end of said held portion of yarn.

2. A method of feeding a plurality of yarns to pileforming devices forincorporation into a fabric as pile elements varying in height asdetermined by a pattern, which comprises holding lengths of yarns lyingside-byside with a plurality of successive feed increments of each yarnlaterally deviated by varying amounts corresponding to the heights ofsuccessive pile elements in a longitudinal row in the fabric to beproduced and with transversely-aligned feed increments of the yarnsdeviated by varying amounts determined by the pattern, simultane ouslyadvancing said held lengths of yarn, with the feed increments of theyarns held deviated, towards the pileforming devices, successivelyreleasing the leading increment of said held lengths of yarn for passageto the pileforming devices, and, simultaneously with the releasing ofthe leading feed increment, introducing another feed increment at thetrailing end of said held portions of each yarn.

3. A method of feeding a plurality of yarns to pileforming devices forincorporation into a fabric as pile elements varying in height asdetermined by a pattern, which comprises supplying the yarns lyingside-by-side in a sheet, engaging lengths of the yarns in said sheetfrom opposite sides along spaced lines extending transversely of theyarns and bending the engaged lengths of yarn to the form of a pluralityof Waves varying in amplitude both with and along the respective yarns,moving the bent yarns simultaneously toward the pile-forming devices,successively releasing the leading waves of all of the yarnssimultaneously, and, simultaneously with the releasing of the leadingwaves of each yarn, engaging a new section of each yarn and bending itto Wave form.

4. An apparatus for feeding a plurality of yarns at rates varying inaccordance with a predetermined pattern to be produced by means of saidyarns, which comprise flexible endless carriers, a set of patternmembers for producing said pattern secured to each endless carrier andextending therefrom in spaced relation, means for supporting thecarriers for longitudinal movement and with lengthwise stretches thereoflying parallel and so close that the pattern members on the stretchesintermesh, means for guiding the yarns in side-by-side relation to andbetween the parallel stretches of the carriers, the yarns being bent towave form and gripped by the intermeshing pattern members in the:parallel stretches, and means for advancing the carriers in suchdirection that the intermeshing pattern members: in the parallelstretches feed the yarns While holding them bent to wave form, themembers successively releasing waves of the yarns at the forward ends ofthe parallel stretches and simultaneously engaging new portions of theyarns and bending them successively to wave form at the rear ends of thestretches, the pattern members on at least one carrier varying in heightalong their length in accordance with a pattern and producing yarn wavescorrespondingly varying in amplitude.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, in which means are provided for backing upthe carriers in the stretches.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, in which the pattern members are flat wiressecured to the carriers to project outwardly therefrom.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, in which the wires have a base extending atan angle to the remainder of the wire and the bases are secured to thecarriers.

8. In a multiple needle tufting machine, apparatus for feeding aplurality of yarns at various rates of feed to the needles of themachine, said apparatus comprising a pair of sprocket and chainassemblies, each of said chain assemblies having bars projectingtherefrom which intermesh with bars on the other of said chainassemblies, means for driving said sprocket and chain assemblies tocause said bars to move in closed] paths, means positioning said chainassemblies in substantially parallel relationship at the zone ofintermeshing of said bars, and yarn guide means for guiding theplurality of yarns in generally side-by-side relation between saidintermeshing bars where said yarns are crimped and gripped by saidintermeshing bars and advanced toward the needles of the machine by themovement of said intermeshing bars, at least some of said bars havingspaced indentations in the projecting edges thereof, said yarn guidemeans being arranged to guide certain of said yarns into said spacedindentations and to guide other of said yarns between said indentationswhereby said certain yarns are crimped to lesser amplitudes than saidother yarns and the rate of feed of said certain yarns is less than therate of feed of said other yarns.

9. Apparatus for feeding a plurality of yarns at varying rates to thecyclically operating pile-forming devices of a machine producing pilefabric, which comprises a pair of flexible movable carriers: havingpattern members thereon, means for supporting the carriers for endwisemovement and with longitudinal stretches thereof traveling alongsubstantially parallel paths with the pattern members on the carriers insaid stretches intermeshing, the pattern members on at least one carriervarying in height along their length in accordance with a pattern, meansfor guiding the yarns in generally sideby-side relation between theintermeshing members on the carriers, where the yarns are crimped by theintermeshing members to form a plurality of undulations in each yarn ofvarying amplitude corresponding to the height of the portions of themembers engaging the yarn, and means for driving the members to advancethe yarns and at such a rate as to cause one member on each carrier toleave a parallel stretch of its carrier during each cycle of operationof the pile-forming devices, whereby an undulation of each yarn isreleased during each such cycle and the rate of feed of each yarn to itsdevice in each cycle depends on the amplitude on the undulation of theyarn released during that cycle.

10. The apparatus for feeding yarns as defined in 7 claim 4 in which thecarriers are a pair of sprocket and chain assemblies and the patternmembers are bars mounted on and extending transversely to the chains ofeach assembly.

11. A method of feeding a yarn from a yarn supply at ditferent rates offeed to a cyclically operating pile-forming device, which comprisesgripping a linear portion of the yarn between the supply and thepile-forming device and forming the gripped portion into a plurality ofundulations of different amplitudes, advancing the gripped and undulatedportion of the yarn toward the Pile-forming device while retaining thedifference of the amplitudes of the undulations, and progressivelyreleasing successive undulations in the yarn at one end of said linearportion and simultaneously forming undulations in succeeding linearportions of the yarn, whereby the rate of feed yarn to the pile-formingdevice at any instant depends ca upon the amplitude of the undulationbeing released at that time.

12. The method of feeding yarns defined in claim 11, in which theadvancing movement of the undulated portion of the yarn is controlled torelease one undulation thereof during each cycle of operation of thepile-forming device.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,58l,093 Howie Apr. 13, 1926 1,863,049 Hermann June 14, 1932 2,247,244Lawson June 24, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS 15,669 Great Britain of 1885

